My Child
by Coru
Summary: This is one of my stories expanding on the many loopholes in Scarlett. When Harriet Kelly went to Atlanta, what if she told a certain someone about Cat?


  
  
  
Harriet Kelly smiled happily as she stepped off the large ship. She'd been ill for most of  
the journey from Ireland and was looking forward to living in America.   
She looked around the harbor in the harbor-city of Savannah and felt her son pull on her  
arm.   
Danny was more than ready for the adventure that America would bring. She smiled  
when she saw the group that Scarlett had described and heard them calling her. She waved and  
hurried over. "Maureen O'Hara?" She asked, looking at the oldest and most red-haired female in  
the group.  
"That'd be me. This here's Jamie, and these are me children." The older woman smiled  
and gestured to her family.  
"I'm Harriet Kelly. It's so nice to meet you, Scarlett's told me so much about all of you."  
Maureen laughed. "I don't think Scarlett met half of us, living with us only a month she  
wouldn't have had the time. Come now, Jamie's after your bags and we'll be going back to the  
house. Your train doesn't leave until tomorrow so you'll stay with us for the night."  
  
The next day the O'Hara's sent Harriet and her son off with relief. Even if Scarlett had  
said she was pleasant-and she hadn't done anything to dissuade them from thinking it was so-she  
was still an Anglo.  
  
Ashley met Harriet at the train station in Atlanta and she was instantly smitten. She was  
to stay with him, India, and their Aunt Pittypat Hamilton in their house on Five Corners. India  
was less than pleased at having her there; she'd always hated Scarlett and hated her more for  
sending Harriet for them to take care of. The first words out of her mouth were venomous.  
"So you're the one Scarlett dropped on us. Just like her, expecting us to do her bidding  
whenever she finds in convenient."  
Harriet's eyes narrowed slightly. "You must be India. I'm not going to be rude, but I  
believe that living under the same roof-of which my dear friend Scarlett owns half-will be much  
more pleasant if you leave her alone. She's doing her best for me and my boy, and we don't like  
hearing against her, do we Danny?"  
"No ma'am. And don't be insulting Cat either."  
India raised her eyebrows. "Who on earth is Cat?"  
Harriet gawked openly. "Do you not know? Scarlett told me she was not good at writing   
letters, but I thought she'd have written you about her own daughter."  
"Daughter?" India's eyes widened and she smiled slowly. "no wonder she's been hiding  
in Ireland." She smiled at Harriet. "Welcome to Atlanta Mrs. Kelly." With that she turned and  
fairly ran upstairs.  
  
India smiled wickedly as she began a letter to her ædear old Aunt Camilla' who lived in   
Charleston. She had a feeling that Scarlett didn't want Rhett to know about her child, and thus  
India was going to take great pleasure in telling him.  
  
A week later India arrived in Charleston, despite her mission she was excited about  
visiting. She hadn't left Atlanta for a trip in years. She was staying with her late mother's older  
sister, Camilla. India hadn't seen her since she was a child, so it shocked Camilla when she  
heard her niece was coming for a visit and she had the entire week cleaning. Her friends were  
afraid she would wear herself out, but she was determined to have the house spotless when India  
arrived. India spent the first week of her visit seeing the sites of Charleston and visiting her  
mother's old friends who were dying to see ædear Sarah's daughter' and hear about Ashley and  
Beau. Finally India got tired of waiting and asked if they might go visit the Buglers, she knew  
Eleanor Butler was a friend of her Aunt's, and she used the excuse of wanting to see someone  
from Atlanta in wanting to see Rhett. Camilla agreed and that planned to go the following  
afternoon. India grinned in anticipation and went up to her room, planning the next day's  
conversation in detail.   
  
The next afternoon they called at the Buglers. They were shown to the parlor, and  
Eleanor entered a few minutes later with Rhett behind her. "Why Camilla, I must say I'M hurt  
you've waited so long to call, I'VE been wanting to meet your niece for so long. And you must  
be India, why you look just like your mother."  
India smiled politely and thanked her. "I've been wanting to come up and see you, I was  
hoping Cat might be around, but I'm sure she's off with her mother somewhere."  
Mrs. Butler frowned slightly. "I'm not sure what you mean India dear, who's Cat?"  
India faked innocence and shock. "Does that mean you don't-oh dear. I'm afraid I've said  
too much."  
Rhett smiled slightly, he knew she was up to something, India was just like Scarlett in  
that respect.   
"Do continue Miss India."  
"Oh, Captain Butler, I'm sure it's not my place. I'm sure if Scarlett wanted you to know  
she'd have told you herself, though I must say I was shocked that she hadn't even told her own  
sisters, or her close friends."  
Rhett narrowed his eyes and stiffened slightly. He'd expected it to be about Scarlett.  
"What do you mean Miss Wilkes?"  
"Well, oh dear, Scarlett's sent her friend, Harriet Kelly from England to stay with us a  
spell, until she got herself and her son settled," India widened her eyes innocently. "and Harriet  
let it slip that Scarlett was living out in Ireland with her daughter, Katie."   
Rhett's eyes widened, digesting what this meant. "Is that so?" He struggled to keep his  
voice even.  
"Yes. I'm sorry Captain Butler, I really should learn when to keep silent. But I'm sure it  
never occurred to me you didn't know."  
Rhett nodded, he knew just as well as India did that she'd planned it. "If you'll excuse  
me ladies, I have something I need to take care of." After exiting the room he hurriedly climbed  
the stairs to his bedroom. He quickly packed a suitcase and boarded the next boat to Ireland.  
  
There was plenty of time to think on a trip across the ocean, it took over two weeks,  
during which Rhett figured out what he was going to do when he got there. His first move was to  
talk John Morland into taking him to wherever Scarlett lived, Rhett knew Bart had kept in touch  
with her so he must know. Next he was going to murder Scarlett, and take the child back with  
him.  
  
  
Scarlett laughed. "Oh Colum! You make it sound as if I'm an utter fool!"  
"Never was I after saying that Scarlett darling." Colum replied seriously. "I'm simply  
saying that if you marry that devil, the people will no longer have any semblance of respect for  
you."  
Scarlett sighed. "Oh Colum, how you do run on. I refuse to be bossed around. Now, if  
you'll excuse me, it's time for tea, and I'm going to find my daughter."  
Huffily she left, and began her daily search for Cat.  
She looked first in the stables, then the kitchen, and the Tower, even Grainne's cottage,  
and was starting to worry when she found Cat riding Ree around her little track.  
"Cat, honey, it's time for tea." She called, gesturing to her daughter.  
"Momma, see, I told you I don't need a saddle, Ree likes it better this way too." Cat  
laughed, pulled the pony to a stop in front of her mother.  
"That's wonderful dear, but it's tea time." Cat smiled and nodded.  
Scarlett picked up her daughter and hurriedly took the pony inside and gave him to a  
groom to cool off.  
She walked calmly up to the house, carrying Cat for longer than the four-year-old  
normally liked, but Cat didn't make an objection. "Are you hungry Cat? I can have some eclairs  
sent up if you want, would you like that baby?" Scarlett's smile faded into a look of pure horror  
as she opened the door to Cat's room and saw a very familiar man studying the room.   
Rhett turned when he heard the door open and found himself face-to-face with Scarlett.  
He saw her face go slack and her grip around the small girl she held in her arms tighten.   
Cat squirmed in her mother's grasp and tried to see what made her mother look so  
frightened.   
"Momma? What's wrong?"  
The small voice seemed to jar both Scarlett and Rhett from their trance. Rhett took a step  
forward, while Scarlett turned tail and ran.  
  
She ran to Mrs. Fitzpatrick's room and locked the door behind her.  
Rosaleen Fitzpatrick was startled by Scarlett's obvious fear and didn't question her  
coming into her room. "Mrs. O'Hara? Are you alright?"  
Scarlett set Cat down and fell to her knees. "No, I'm not! He's here, I knew he was going  
to come after me someday, he knows everything, and now he's going to take Cat away!"  
Mrs. Fitzpatrick cast a wary glance towards the kitchen below, where she knew the cook  
and the kitchen maids were listening to every word. She lowered her voice and moved away  
from the window.   
"Who is Mrs. O'Hara?"  
"Rhett, Cat's father!" Scarlett sobbed and put her face in her hands. "What am I going to  
do? I can't let him have her; she's my child. I've fought so hard to keep him from finding out  
about her, now he has!"  
  
Mary Doyle happened to be passing through the kitchen when she heard this exchange.  
She was a clumsy fool, but for the first time in her life she did exactly what was needed, she  
bolted out of the house in search of Colum.  
  
A few moments later Scarlett heard footsteps near the door. She caught her breath and  
grabbed Cat. She sighed with relief when she heard Colum's gentle voice.   
"Scarlett? Are you in there, aroon?"  
"Yes, Colum, I'm coming." She dried her eyes and stood, pulling Cat with her. She  
opened the door and let him lead her out to the garden.  
"Calm now, Scarlett darling. I'll hold little Katie for a bit, you need to rest and she'll not  
get away from me."   
Scarlett smiled weakly and gave up her wide-eyed daughter. "Thank you Colum. I think I  
need to sit down."  
"I think you need to explain."  
Scarlett's face went white as she turned and saw Rhett standing at the gate.  
She gestured for Colum to put Cat down. She knelt and softly told her to run to Grainne's  
cottage and not to leave unless Scarlett, Colum, or Grainne was with her.  
Scarlett gave her a gentle push and turned back to face Rhett. She nodded at Colum. "I'll  
be alright Colum, you can go."  
He started to object but realized the uselessness and pushed past Rhett on his way down  
to his home.  
"I must say I feel quite silly. I sent Harriet to Atlanta, I never thought of her telling  
anyone about Cat, but of course she would. She was her governess. I'm assuming that was how  
you found out about her?"  
Rhett's eyes hardened. "Yes. Would you mind telling me who she is?"  
Scarlett shrugged. "I'd rather not."  
"I'd rather you did."  
"She's Cat and that's all you need know."   
"No it isn't Scarlett and you know it."  
"Fine, you want to hear me say it? All right. Her name is Katie Colum O'Hara, she's  
three years old, likes to ride her pony Ree, and she's your daughter. Happy now?" Scarlett glared  
fiercely at him.  
"Indeed. I'm so happy, that I'm taking her back with me to Charleston. And because of  
this stunt you'll never see her again."  
Scarlett paled but stood her ground. "You will do no such thing. Whether or not you are  
her father she was born in Ireland and I am her mother. You will not take her away from me.÷  
"You continually put on airs about being a mother Scarlett, when Belle Watling is a  
better mother than you. At least she had the decency to send her child away to be raised amongst  
decent people."  
Scarlett sucked in her breath. "Maybe you're right. Maybe I am a terrible mother. But  
whether or not that's true, I'll not let you take her away from me. Not now, not ever. And I won't  
let you confuse Cat. So you might as well go back to Charleston, back to Anne. And whenever  
you think of Cat, remember that it was your fault that she'll never have a father beyond-"  
Scarlett stopped herself and for the first time looked away.  
"You needn't stop on my account, finish what you were saying." Rhett's voice had  
changed; there was regret and something else in his tone.  
"All right, if you insist. I was about to say Cat will never have a father beyond Luke, the  
Earl of Fenton, who I'm to marry in the fall."  
Rhett stiffened slightly. "How ironic."  
Scarlett tilted her head in confusion. "What do you mean?"  
"Nothing you would understand."  
"Well, then I suppose you can leave. To think you traveled all the way to Ireland for  
nothing." Scarlett said, smiling slightly.  
"I didn't. And I'm not leaving." Rhett leaned on a gatepost casually.  
"What do you mean you're not leaving? You can't stay here." Scarlett's eyes widened in  
panic.  
"Why not?"  
"Why not? Because, well, because what would Anne think? And she's having a baby,  
and, then I..." Scarlett flailed her hands in the air helplessly. She knew if he wanted to stay he  
would, but she could only hope he had some regard for her feelings and wouldn't complicate  
things.  
Rhett gently approached Scarlett and took her hands in his. "Scarlett, there isn't anything  
for me in Charleston. Anne died the day before I left." He sadly looked into Scarlett's widening  
eyes, as what he'd just said sank in.  
"Oh Rhett..I'm...so sorry. The baby?"  
"Dead."  
"I'm so sorry Rhett, I really am.÷  
He smiled, but it wasn't one of amusement. "I seem to have the damnedest talent of  
being around you only when you aren't available."  
Scarlett looked up at him suddenly and saw in his eyes a look she'd so desperately  
wanted to see. Then she smiled. "I'm always available to you Rhett."  
Rhett laughed and pulled Scarlett to him. She put her arms around his neck, and she felt as if  
she could never let him go again.  
  



End file.
